Education · 1 of 4
The path
Three routes in, and all of them end with the same hands-on skill.
- 1
High school diploma
Grade 12
Shop class if your school still has one, plus geometry and trigonometry. Both get used daily.
- 2
Pick your entry
Right after school
A community college machining certificate, a registered apprenticeship that pays from day one, or getting hired as an operator and learning inside the shop.
- 3
Learn to run and then set up machines
1 to 3 years
Running a job someone else set up is the entry level. Setting up your own, choosing tools and holding tolerance is where the pay is.
- 4
Add programming
During or after
CNC (computer numerical control) programming and CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) software turn a machine operator into a machinist who can quote and plan a job.
- 5
Credential and specialize
Ongoing
Credentials from NIMS (the National Institute for Metalworking Skills) prove the skill on paper. Then move toward tool and die, mold making, inspection or aerospace work.